Could you imagine watching the animated classics in black and white?  What would Disney’s 1940s masterpiece “Fantasia” look like if it was not for Technicolor? The classical music of the Philadelphia Orchestra would be playing to animations that would look nothing more than black and white sticks and orbs, with a boring Sorcerer’s Apprentice which would hold none of the charm it does today. Of course, not only animated movies were shot using the Technicolor technology, but also musicals, such as the Wizard of Oz.  Who does not remember this beloved musical with colors that were so bright that they could not possibly occur in nature? 

Who would have thought that the 1915 brainchild of Drs. Herbert Kalmus and Daniel Comstock as well as the mechanic W. B. Wecott would at some point be the defining factor in film making? Of course, the perfection of the process took time, and Technicolor had to endure several growing pains before becoming an industry standard.  In 1917 the first form of Technicolor was invented.  It was referred to simply as “Process 1” but proved to be so labor intensive, that only one movie was ever made with it: “The Gulf Between,” which was Wray Physioc’s depiction of a sea captain’s daughter who is rejected by the family of her love interest.

When it was clear that “Process 1” would not amount to much, the doctors and their mechanic embarked on the creation of “Process 2” which premiered in 1922.  The first ever movie to be made with “Process 2” was “The Toll of the Sea” which was Chester Franklin’s masterpiece of an interracial relationship where love does not triumph over bigotry – which makes it a wonderful adaptation of the Madame Butterfly story. Other movies were also shot using this process, such as Cecil B. DeMille’s silent epic “The Ten Commandments” as well as Fred Niblo and Charles Brabin’s silent version of “Ben Hur.” Even though “Process 2” produced workable results, in the long run it became obvious that it was too hard to work with, and especially useless with the idea of preserving films. 

Thus, in 1928 Technicolor presented to the waiting public “Process 3.”  The very first movie ever made with “Process 3” was also incidentally the very first movie to have a sound track – not a talking one, mind you, but simply a background score coupled with appropriate sound effects.  It was Roy William Neill’s “The Viking” and tells the tale of the legendary Viking settlers who came to North America in their boats.  “Process 3” also saw the appearance of the talkies, and it showcased the very first ever talking movie entitled “On with the Show!”

Sadly, Technicolor did not withstand the test of time, and even though its many contributions to the history of film are undeniable, it is an era that came and went. Cited as possible reasons for the fact that Technicolor had to give up the reigns of making color movies to its competitors were the fact that it would not sell its equipment to the studios, but only lend or lease it out together with technicians who would operate it. Add to this the fact that Technicolor’s competitors were faster at film procession that its own labs could ever be, very soon the reason to use the other color film manufacturers became purely economic in nature. The last move made in Technicolor was the 1974 movie “The Godfather, Part 2.”

Of course, Technicolor never went totally away.  It is still around today as a film processing firm and has also become heavily involved in the preservation of archival work. When following the timeline of Technicolor’s rise to fame and fortune, it is not surprising to see that it was their versatility and adaptability to new needs that provided them with the leadership role in the American movie world it held for so long.  The history of American’s motion picture is forever closely linked to the name “Technicolor” and many innovations were made simply because of the lifelike portrayal its technology made possible for movie goers. Talkies and the great classics would never be the same were it not for Technicolor and for the sense of realness its processes offered to a fascinated movie going audience.